Allison Cena turned his car off and looked into the seat beside her. She picked up the box and peeked inside, then closed it and clutched it to her chest. A tear trickled down her cheek and she got out of the old Mustang. His car. She wanted to drive it to the church alone, thinking the drive would clear her head. She needed to be alone. The past week she’d been surrounded by people. Family, friends, well-wishers and mourners. She adjusted the train on her gown and inhaled a deep breath. Her mother said she was crazy for wearing it today, but she didn’t care. She wanted her husband to see her one last time when she was at her most beautiful, on their wedding day. She started for the church doors and stopped, her mind going back to the day she told her parents she wanted to marry him.

“I’m not letting you marry him, Ally!” her mother protested. “You’re only 17!”

“Mom, please!” she pleaded. “He’s enlisted into the Marines! He’s being shipped off in 3 months. I might not see him again for a really long, long time. I love him! Please, Mom!”

She kept after her mother, relentlessly begging and pleading for her consent. Finally her father stepped in, a proud Army General, and put his foot down. If his daughter loved this man that much, she should marry him and he’d be proud to call The Marine his son-in-law.

So they got married a week before John was shipped off to training camp.

She stopped on the church steps, clutching the box and gulped. This wasn’t happening. It just couldn’t be. She thought back to just a week ago when she got the dreaded visit every military wife hopes to never get.

“Ma’am, we are sorry to inform you that your husband was killed by a sniper in the line of duty in Iraq…”

She had fell to her knees on her parents’ front porch and screamed. Her mother rushed to her and held her as she kept screaming.

She heard trumpets from the military band
And the flowers fell out of her hand…

The flowers she’d planned on putting on his coffin hit the side of her foot and she just stared into the church. It was full to overflowing with people. She slowly stepped inside and her parents went to her. They walked her down the aisle and then she saw it. The coffin, draped with the US flag, the flowers and a huge photograph on an easel of her husband, John, in his Marine dress uniform. Tears seeped down her face as she looked at him. He was so handsome with his dimples and bright blue eyes that sparkled when he laughed. She heard his laughter right then in her head and she couldn’t help but smile softly to herself. God how she loved him. Her parents sat her down in the front pew and held on tightly to her arms.

“We are here today to honor the life of Private John Cena…”

Allison stared into space blankly as the preacher started speaking.

“Why are they shipping you over so quick?” she asked him sadly. “You’ve only just finished training.”

“They need me, baby,” John said, pulling her closely to him on the porch swing of her parents’ home. He kissed her temple and said, “I’m doing this for us. For our future.”

“I’m going to miss you like crazy,” she said.

“The two years will fly by,” John said. “You’ll be so busy with school you won’t even notice I’m gone.”

“Yes I will.” She sniffed and curled into his side.

~The preacher man said let us bow our heads and pray
Lord please lift his soul, and heal this hurt
Then the congregation all stood up and sang the saddest song that she ever heard…

Marines carried the coffin down the aisle as the choir sang. Allison, her parents and his family followed. They exited the church and filed under more Marines holding swords up, making an arch over their fallen comrade. They pulled their swords to their sides and marched along side as they walked to the cemetery.

Allison stared at the coffin, clutching the box to her chest, her mind drifting away.

“Who’s the cute boy?” her friend Janet asked, noticing Allison staring at the guy playing pinball in the mall arcade.

Allison shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Let’s see, shall we?” Janet giggled and grabbed her hand. They walked over to him and Janet said, “Hi.”

The tall muscular guy looked up and right into Allison’s green eyes. Grinning he said, “Hi.”

Allison smiled back. “Hey, I’m Allison Stevens.”

“John Cena,” he said, giving her a full smile.

“I’m Janet Brown,” Janet said. “We haven’t seen you around school before.”

“I go to Cushing,” John said, not taking his eyes off the petite brunette looking up at him.

“Oh, we go to King High,” Allison said.

“Probably why we haven’t met before,” John said. “Cuz I’m sure I’d notice you.”

Allison blushed. “Me too.”

John smiled, licking his lips.

Janet looked between them and said, “We were about to go see a movie, but I have to go home.”

“Oh?” Allison asked, not looking at her.

“Yeah, sorry Ally, I forgot I told my mom I’d be home early,” Janet said. “John, you can have my ticket, if you want.”

John took the outstretched ticket and nodded. “Cool, thanks.”

“Have fun,” Janet said and said, “Call me later, Ally.”

“Ok,” Allison mumbled, not looking away from John.

“Is that what you’re called? Ally?” John asked.

“Yeah,” Allison said.

“Like Ally Cat?” he joked, meowed and they both laughed.

She nodded. “Yep.”

They stood there looking at each other for a few seconds, then Allison said, “The movie’s going to start in a few minutes.”

“Then I guess we should head up,” John said and offered her his hand.

She smiled and took it. “Yeah.”

Their fingers entwined as they walked together and her heart thumped madly in her chest.

~Then they handed her a folded up flag
And she held on to all she had left of him…

“Please, take this flag as a token of this country’s unending appreciation for the service of your husband.” The officer said, handing it to her.

She held it to her chest and whimpered, tears rolling down her face as guns started going off.

~Oh, and what could have been…~

Images of him, holding her, making love to her, children that would never be, laughter and love rolled through her mind as she sat there and cried for the husband she barely got to have.

~And then the guns rang one last shot
And it felt like a bullet in her heart…~

She inhaled a sharp breath as the last gun shot and she bit her lips together to keep from screaming. People started filing away as the coffin lowered into the ground.

~Baby why'd you leave me
Why'd you have to go?
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know
I can't even breathe
It's like I'm looking from a distance
Standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream…~

Allison held her breath, watching her husband be lowered into the ground and finally just screamed.

~Oh,
Baby why'd you leave me
Why'd you have to go?
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know
Oh, now I'll never know
It's like I'm looking from a distance
Standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream…~

A young Marine went to her. He kneeled down in front of her and said, “Mrs. Cena.” He took her hands and looked into her sad face.

She sniffed and blinked. “Yes?”

“I’m Private Randall Orton,” he said. “Your husband gave up his life to save mine.”

“The sniper fired,” he started. “I was hit in my arm.” He motioned to his arm that was in a sling. “John covered me with his body and the sniper got him in the back.”

Tears rolled down the young Marine’s face and he continued. “He was a hell of a Marine. I’m proud to have served with him. I’m even prouder to have called him ‘brother’ and my friend.”

Allison sobbed and clutched the Private’s hands. “I’ve been so selfish. Just thinking about myself and wrapped up in my own grief. I never stopped to think about his friends or his unit. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he said. “He talked about you constantly – bragged about his beautiful young wife and telling us all how much he missed you and how much he couldn’t wait to get home to you.”

He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out an envelope. “I found this on the ground, where it happened. I wanted to deliver it to you personally.”

He handed it to her and said, “If it’s any consolation, your husband died a hero – my hero and he was so proud of serving his country and being a Marine. He was also extremely proud of you and he loved you so much. You name was the last word he spoke when he was dieing.”

Allison’s sobs got louder and she hugged him. “Thank you.”

“No,” he said and got up. “Thank you.” He saluted her and walked away.

~Oh, this is just a dream
Just a dream
Yeah, Yeah…~

Allison opened the envelope and started reading.

“My Ally Cat,

Things here lately are getting hot. There have been mortar attacks, bombings, snipers, and air raids. The only thing keeping me going is thinking about you waiting at home for me. I was informed today that I have some leave coming in about six months. I can’t wait to see you. I just keep imagining you standing there in that pretty yellow sundress, your hair flying around you and you smiling at me as I rush over to you. I can’t wait to hold you, kiss you, and make love to you. You’re my reason for being. You’re the reason God put me on this Earth. I knew that the day in the arcade when I looked into your beautiful green eyes. You keep flying that yellow ribbon for me, my sweet. I can’t wait to see you.

I love you with all my heart and soul,
John"

Tears hit the paper and she quickly brushed them away. She folded the letter and put it back in the envelope.

“I love you too, baby, with all of my heart and my soul,” she said to the lowering casket and got up. She walked away quickly, kissing the envelope, her shattered heart finally beginning the long process of healing.

~Oh, this is just a dream
Just a dream
Yeah, Yeah…~